Author's Notes: Hurray! I passed the 20 000 word mark, which means this challenge is officially completed. This story is not yet over, but it will be put on temporary hold, while I catch up on other things.

Once again, note the M rating, and do not be offended by the chapter (especially as I've provided ample foreshadowing).

Enjoy!

)O(

Andromeda said a nervous goodbye to her sister when the train stopped at the station. She watched worriedly as Bellatrix and Rodolphus, arm-in-arm, made their way down to a line of horseless carriages with the bulk of the students.

"Over here, Andi."

She turned around, and saw Lucius Malfoy, waving her over towards him. She smiled gratefully and rushed to his side, thankful for a familiar face, even if it was Lucius's.

"First years, over 'ere!" a loud, somewhat rough voice was calling, and Lucius and Andromeda exchanged nervous glances as they approached the voice, and Andromeda squeezed his hand tightly in fear as a huge figure loomed out of the darkness.

"First years!" he called, waving a massive hand, and Andromeda and Lucius approached tentatively. Andromeda's heart skipped a beat when she saw him more clearly.

"Lucius," she whispered, trembling, "it's a Giant…"

"Don't worry," Lucius told her, squeezing her hand a little. "He won't hurt you. I promise."

The other children looked every bit as afraid as Andromeda felt, but the Giant didn't seem to mind, and he ushered them cheerfully towards a lake. "Come on, three to a boat!" he called, indicating a line of rowboats.

Lucius helped Andromeda into one, then clambered in himself, muttering under his breath that Purebloods shouldn't have to travel in such an undignified way.

"There's still space in that boat," said the giant, his voice causing Andromeda to whip around, trembling, and seeing him pointing the boy from the train – Ted Tonks – towards her and Lucius.

He looked reluctant, and Andromeda leaned over to Lucius, keeping her eyes on him. "He's a Mudblood," she whispered, indicating the boy approaching them.

Lucius snorted, covering his mouth, and moved away as Ted Tonks climbed into the boat. He kept his eyes down, apparently not wanting to make eye contact with Andromeda, which suited her quite well.

"Stay away from us, Mudblood," Lucius told him, pulling Andromeda a little closer and eyeing Ted Tonks with disgust. He dropped his head even more, letting his hair fall into his eyes, and moved to the very back of the boat, as far away from Andromeda and Lucius as he could.

The boats set off of their own accord across the water, and Andromeda fairly glowed with excitement. She felt quite power, sitting at the helm of the boat, her hair whipping behind her, with Lucius Malfoy at her side – like the queen of some fantastic realm. And Ted Tonks at the back of the boat – in her fantasy, he was her slave, ready to serve her whims.

This make-believe kept Andromeda's nerves at bay as they travelled across the lake, and it was only as they approached the castle that they started to return. She twisted her hands in her school skirt, taking deep breaths and trying to retain her fantasy, but she just felt incredibly small…

The boats docked, and Andromeda found herself squeezing Lucius's hand again as they made their way with the rest of the first years up into the castle.

"Don't be worried," Lucius told Andromeda. "You know what's going to happen… the sorting hat will go on your head and it'll say you're in Slytherin. Nothing to worry about at all."

Andromeda swallowed and nodded, but she still found herself clinging to him as they were led into the Great Hall. She never would have thought she would be so glad for Lucius Malfoy's presence – she didn't even like him – but having him was so much better than having no one.

She stared around the Great Hall, and felt simultaneous rushes of relief and fresh nerves when she saw Bellatrix at the table decked in silver and green. And there was Rodolphus next to her…

Andromeda put that thought out of her head and smiled weakly in her sister's direction as the first years assembled at the front of the hall. She was struck with a sudden fear when she saw the battered old hat on its stool, and quickly turned to Lucius, eyes widening.

"I don't think I want it knowing my thoughts," she whispered nervously.

"Don't be stupid, Andi," Lucius told her. "Why does it matter?"

"It just…" How did Andromeda explain? How did she explain that she was afraid of what it might see – what her father had done to Bellatrix… Andromeda's flashes of jealousy against Rodolphus… her… feelings… towards Bellatrix…

"Shh," whispered Lucius. "They're starting!"

Andromeda trembled a little as children were called up to the stool and the hat placed upon their heads, calling out the names of the houses. She didn't know whether to be grateful that her name was so early or not…

"Black, Andromeda!"

"Good luck," Lucius whispered, as Andromeda slowly made her way up towards the hat. Don't trip, she mentally ordered herself. Be graceful…

She sat upon the stool and the hat was set on her head, falling down right over her eyes. For one unbelievable second, as Andromeda clenched her hands in her lap, there was utter silence, then she heard a quiet, gravelly voice in her ear.

"Well, well, another Black…" it said, and Andromeda's heart hammered.

"Yes," she whispered.

"I suppose you want Slytherin, then." It sounded almost bored, as though it had sorted so many Blacks that it didn't much care anymore.

"Yes."

"Pity, you'd be good in Ravenclaw…"

"No, please, Slytherin, I want Slytherin."

"Oh," it sighed, "very well, then… Slytherin!"

Andromeda felt an incredible rush of relief as it was lifted from her head and she was allowed to hurry down to sit beside her sister.

Bellatrix grinned at her. "I'm so glad you're finally here." she said, and Andromeda beamed.

In something close to a daze, Andromeda sat through dinner. She was vaguely aware of eating, and of the headmaster Professor Dumbledore speaking to the students, but she wasn't honestly paying much attention to anything except her sister. Bellatrix, by contrast, seemed to be paying attention to anything but Andromeda. She was all but fawning over Rodolphus, and Andromeda hated that. Shouldn't she be more concerned with her sister than with Rodolphus?

It would seem not.

Andromeda found her initial excitement wearing off fast, and by the end of the meal, she felt quite sullen. She practically dragged herself down into the dungeons after the prefect, and couldn't even muster a semblance of excitement when the password was uttered and the entrance to the Common Room was opened. She just followed the other students in and then immediately went to the first year girl's dormitory as the prefect directed.

Her trunk was already at the foot of one bed, and Andromeda wasted no time in pulling on a nightdress and climbing into bed, pulling the curtains around her. She didn't want to have to talk to any giggling girls tonight. She just wanted to lie in bed and brood.

Maybe she had been wrong on the train. Maybe this year really was going to be miserable. Bellatrix was going to be spending her time with Rodolphus, and that was even worse than her just ignoring Andromeda.

"Andi?"

Andromeda sat straight up at the sound of her sister's voice. "B- Bella?" she whispered, pulling back the curtain.

"Shove over, Andi," Bellatrix said, climbing into the bed with her and pulling the curtains closed again. "What's gotten you in such a bad state?"

"Nothing," Andromeda said immediately.

"Oh, don't pretend…" Bellatrix directed her wand at the curtains and mumbled a few words under her breath, then turned back to Andromeda. "There, no one can here us now… so what's wrong?"

"I told you, nothing."

"Is it Rodolphus?" Bellatrix asked.

Andromeda turned over, facing away from her. "Why are you here?" she mumbled into her pillow. "Don't you have your own dormitory?"

"Of course…" Andromeda felt the mattress shift slightly, and was aware of the warmth of Bellatrix's body as she lay down next to her. "But you don't think I'm going to leave my little sister all alone on her first night away from home, do you?"

Andromeda shrugged as best she could.

"Besides," Bellatrix continued, as she lifted up the blankets and squirmed under them, "there's something I have to teach you now you're here… I didn't want to do it at home, Mother and Father might have found out…"

"What?" asked Andromeda, still facing away, then she jumped when she felt a hand on her leg.

"Don't worry," whispered Bellatrix, pressing quite close to Andromeda so she could feel the swell of her breasts against her back. "Just relax…"

Andromeda let out a tiny little gasp as fingers wormed their way beneath her nightgown and started slowly travelling up her thigh. "Bella…"

"I told you… relax… don't worry about anything, all right?" Bellatrix whispered, and then let out a soft sigh, and Andromeda jumped as Bellatrix's fingers touched her between her legs, somewhere not even Andromeda's own hands had ever strayed.

She shivered. "Bella, what are you doing?"

"Relax!" Bellatrix commanded. "Stop talking, and stop questioning me."

Andromeda pressed her lips tightly closed, tensing as Bellatrix's fingers explored her. Her heart must have been beating twice its normal speed.

Bellatrix's index finger ran across a little bump, and Andromeda felt her whole body spasm. Her legs twitched involuntarily, and she could tell Bellatrix was smiling even though she couldn't see her face.

"There…" Bellatrix whispered, and she rubbed the bump again, a little harder. Andromeda squirmed slightly. This was a very strange sensation… there was a sort of warmth and pressure building up in between her legs, where Bellatrix was touching her.

"Feels good?"

Andromeda nodded, and now Bellatrix was rubbing the hard nub of flesh quite vigorously. Andromeda squirmed, almost involuntarily rubbing her hips back against Bellatrix's.

"You're lucky, Andi," hissed Bellatrix, "that your first time gets to be like this… instead of on your wedding night with some brute of a man…"

Andromeda made a tiny mewling noise, like a kitten. She could feel the heat of Bellatrix's body and an ever-growing sensation where she was being touched. Bellatrix's fingers were slick with moisture. They felt better than anything Andromeda could have even imagined…

Bellatrix's other hand, the one not occupied between Andromeda's legs, was slowly moving up her stomach, stroking through her nightgown, and then to her small breast. Andromeda jumped as Bellatrix pinched down on her nipple, and she squirmed against her sister's hands.

"I'm so much better for you than any man could ever be," whispered Bellatrix. "You've always wanted me instead of a man… don't think I don't know… remember when Uncle Alphard told us the story at Christmas?"

"Mm hmm…" Andromeda nodded, arching her back slightly. She couldn't quite tell if the feeling between her legs was pain or pleasure – she had never experienced anything like it and she just didn't know. It was almost unbearable, and Andromeda felt her legs shaking. She wanted to beg Bellatrix to stop, it was all too much…

"You and I can be like Anna and her wife," Bellatrix whispered, and at those words, Andromeda felt something inside her snap. Her whole body trembled and twitched, and it felt so good it almost hurt, and Bellatrix just wouldn't stop rubbing at her, and then Andromeda felt a warm gush of liquid between her legs.

She looked down at herself, panting, and saw a large wet stain over the bed. She flushed, mortified – she hadn't wet the bed in living memory – what was this?

Bellatrix giggled a little. "Don't look so shocked, Andi… it happens to me too…"

"What?"

"When I have an orgasm… like you just did," Bellatrix whispered. "It pours out of me like this…" She plucked at the soaked sheets and nightgown, then picked up her wand, quickly cleaning up the liquid. Andromeda lay back on her pillows, feeling nothing short of stunned.

"It felt good, didn't it?" whispered Bellatrix.

Andromeda nodded helplessly.

Bellatrix leaned over her sister and pressed her lips against hers. Andromeda didn't know how to respond, so she lay quite still until Bellatrix pulled back.

"Suppose I'd better go now," said Bellatrix, sitting up and smoothing her hair, preparing to leave.

It took quite a bit of effort for Andromeda to get words out, but she managed it, just barely. "Wait!"

"Yes?"

A few deep breaths, then Andromeda whispered,

"Promise me you'll do that for me again someday?"

Bellatrix's lips curved into a smile that looked far too much like the one Rodolphus had worn earlier that day.

"Of course I promise."